Sunday, August 02, 2015

Hejira

Margaret Griffis (Antiwar.com) notes, "During July, Antiwar.com found that 1,286 civilians
and security personnel were killed across Iraq. Another 1,508 were wounded. Of
those killed, 860 were civilians. Antiwar.com also counted 3,361 militant
deaths. Another 102 militants were reported wounded. The figures were compiled from media sources."

Possibly because the United Nations released their figures on a Saturday, possibly because so few in the media care about Iraq, even the UN death toll received little attention.

Several thousand people — workers, artists and intellectuals —
demonstrated Friday evening in Tahrir Square in the center of Baghdad,
chanting and carrying signs about the lack of electricity and blaming
corruption for it. They blocked traffic at a major roundabout, waiting
until sundown to avoid the heat and to have more impact, since the
streets are quieter during the day as people stay out of the sun.

In Baghdad it took place, did it?

Protests took place across Iraq.

How stupid can you be?

A lot more:

The protest was unusual in that it did not appear to have been called
for by any major political party. People carried Iraqi flags and
denounced officials. Security forces with riot shields blocked them from
moving across a bridge toward the restricted Green Zone where many
officials live.

I'm sorry, what political party called for the protests in Iraq that were launched in December of 2012 and lasted through January 2014?

Oh, that's right: None.

What an idiot.

What a liar.

What a cheap, tacky whore.

The youth movement called for that earlier long running protest and they began making calls for protests again starting about 12 days ago on Arabic social media.

I know that but a reporter paid to cover Iraq for the New York Times doesn't?

How very sad.

Back to her 'report':Courteous police officers handed out water, a shift from earlier
years, when they responded harshly to electricity protests. One police
officer even denounced his commanders, saying they had sent him and
other officers to infiltrate the protest as provocateurs. Instead, he
had joined it.

Shouting at a cellphone camera with the protest visible behind him,
he said he was told to “ruin the protest.” Cursing his boss by name and
flashing a police identity card, he added: “We will continue calling for
our demands even if you fire me.”

When they responded harshly to electricity protests?

What a damn liar.

And if you're the New York Times who -- unlike NPR and the Washington Post -- couldn't report on Nouri ordering reporters covering a protest be arrested and tortured maybe you need to take a little more care with your reporting.

At first, I was bothered by how little press the protests received.

Then I read some of the coverage and was bothered by the coverage itself.

About Me

We do not open attachments. Stop e-mailing them. Threats and abusive e-mail are not covered by any privacy rule. This isn't to the reporters at a certain paper (keep 'em coming, they are funny). This is for the likes of failed comics who think they can threaten via e-mails and then whine, "E-mails are supposed to be private." E-mail threats will be turned over to the FBI and they will be noted here with the names and anything I feel like quoting.
This also applies to anyone writing to complain about a friend of mine. That's not why the public account exists.